(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to candle decorating, and more particularly to an automated mechanized, apparatus and process for the reproduction of hand decorated designs on candles.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
The art of hand stamping decorations on large candles is known. To manually decorate a candle, the craftsperson must hold the candle in his lap and strike its surface with the tool that imparts a desired mark. The mark consists of an indentation in the candle and depending upon the wax composition, a milky white region of tiny cracks localized around the edge of the indentation. Craftspersons in this art generally combine up to eight different tool shapes to create intricate decorations such as flowers and plants on the surface of a candle.
Most decorated candles require on the order of a thousand marks. Many of the marks are applied at various angles. A flower, for example, requires a center hub mark and petal marks angled radially about the hub. Each change of angle requires the craftsperson to rotate the candle in his lap before striking the mark. The manual method is therefore not satisfactory for the repeated reproduction of stamped candle decorations.
The prior art method of decorating candles is laborious, requires skilled labor, and does not lend itself well to large scale production and is generally exceedingly time consuming.
I have invented an automated-mechanized apparatus and method for the reproduction and production of decorated candles previously capable of being only made by hand.